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Jarrod Shannon
| cityofbirth = Chapman | countryofbirth = St. Gregory | dateofdeath = | cityofdeath = | countryofdeath = | height = | position = Forward | currentclub = | clubnumber = | youthyears = 1983-1988 1988-1995 | youthclubs = White Mountain FC Chapman | years = 1994-1995 1995-2013 | clubs = FC Chapman II FC Chapman | caps(goals) = 386 (239) | nationalyears = 1997-2012 | nationalteam = St. Gregory | nationalcaps(goals) = | manageryears = | managerclubs = }} Jarrod Wallace Shannon (born October 9, 1976) is a Gregorian retired professional footballer who played his entire professional career as a striker for his hometown club, FC Chapman. He represented the St. Gregory national team for 15 years, setting records for most caps and most goals scored by a Gregorian international. He is now a TV football analyst for emsport. Shannon broke onto the scene in 1995 as the first marquee product of the FC Chapman Academy, going on to make 386 senior appearances for Chapman over 18 seasons, several of which were marred by injury and health issues (see below). He is a three-time winner of the League A Golden Boot (and the only player to win the award three years in a row), and holds league records for most goals scored all time (239) and most goals scored in a season (28). FC Chapman retired his number 9 jersey in 2014 following his retirement from the game the previous year. Club career FC Chapman Youth/Academy Shannon joined his hometown club, FC Chapman at age 11 and was placed on the under-13 team. Shannon was a member of the first class of the FC Chapman Academy, which was established in 1994. He spent the 1994-95 season between the under-18 team and the senior reserves. First team debut Shannon was promoted to the first team by manager Brian Cleland at the start of the 1995-96 League A season. On November 4, 1995, at age 19, Shannon made his professional debut for the club, coming on as a substitute for Chris Barton in the second half against Midland International. Just three minutes after entering the match, Shannon beat the Midland defense after a through ball from midfield and scored with his first touch. Chapman won the match 3-1 and would go on to win their first League A title that season. Shannon won his first League A scoring title in 1998-99 with 28 goals from 30 games, an all-time record that still stands as of 2016-17. This included at least one goal against every other team in the league, something not achieved by any other League A player before or since. He went on to win the Golden Boot as the league's top goalscorer in each of the following two seasons. Battle with chronic fatigue syndrome In February 2002, midway through the 2001-02 season, Shannon became ill and missed two matches – including a much anticipated encounter with Bonneville United – with flu-like symptoms. Upon his return to the team, he collapsed midway through a match against Holland County and was stretchered off. Shannon was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). He continued to train with the team but would suffer severe fatigue and joint pain during training sessions, and did not play again for the rest of the season. Shannon spent the next four years on various treatment and medication regimens. He was rarely able to play full matches, usually needing to be substituted off in the second half. He told reporters that he was "usually in pain most of the time I played, even before I stepped onto the pitch". Return to health By late 2006, Shannon had mostly recovered from his symptoms and the 2005-06 season marked a triumphant return for both him and his club as FC Chapman won their first League A title in five years. In all, Shannon was a part of Chapman's first six League A championships (1995-96, 1998-99, 2000-01, 2005-06, 2008-09 and 2009-10). Retirement Shannon announced his retirement on May 27, 2013, prior to Chapman's final match of the season. International career Shannon was eligible to play for Scotland, as both of his parents were born in that country, but chose to play for St. Gregory. He made his international debut on January 15, 1997, in a home friendly against Canada. Two months later, on March 16, he scored his first two international goals as St. Gregory defeated Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean Cup. After football In 2013, following his retirement from playing, Shannon accepted a position as an analyst for CM Sports (now emsport) on their SGFA Matchday broadcasts. FC Chapman retired Shannon's number 9 shirt at a ceremony on the opening day of the 2014-15 League A season, making him the first member of the ring of honor at emcom Stadium. Personal life Shannon's parents migrated to St. Gregory from Scotland. He is now married to Jennifer (née Lane) and they have three children. The family live in White Mountain, near Jarrod's childhood home. Category:Player pages Category:FC Chapman players Category:White Mountain F.C. players Category:St. Gregory national team players Category:SGFA All-Stars players Category:People from Chapman Category:Retired players